On this overcast Friday morning, the National Geographic Islander was anchored in front of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, the second largest Island in the Galápagos. By 7:30 a.m., our explorers are ready to disembark from Zodiacs onto the pier of the National Park Service. Expectations are high because we are to visit the experimental research station. We can’t wait to see the baby tortoises and giant tortoises. I believe the most exciting part of the stop is the chance to learn about the conservation programs that the station and the park service operate.
Walking around the facilities of the Darwin Station, we learned about the successful breeding programs that are helping to increase the giant tortoise population. We also did some bird-watching and identified a few of bird species that Charles Darwin found here.
Riding buses to the highlands, we enjoyed lunch at a nice restaurant. Then we made our way to the agricultural zone on the island of Santa Cruz to enjoy the company of wild giant tortoises on a reserve. Santa Cruz offered us many opportunities to get close to these large animals and take amazing pictures. Full of native vegetation, the place is so peaceful we can hear the birds singing and the tortoises walking. Before we ended the visit, we stopped at a lava tunnel and explored this volcanic attraction.
We made it back to Puerto Ayora a little later than expected because of traffic caused by a local triathlon, but by 7 p.m., we were back onboard the Islander and ready to hear about tomorrow’s attractions.
